Bright and airy, beautifully planned and equipped, this kitchen is the result of a true collaboration and meeting of minds. For Laurence Pidgeon, it gave an opportunity to work with creative, design-aware clients who knew what they wanted from their new kitchen. For the clients, it was exciting to work with a leading kitchen designer, offering not only his matchless space planning and ergonomic knowledge but also his own experience as a keen cook who really understands how a kitchen should perform.

Laurence’s design perfectly fits the clients’ brief for a clean, sleek contemporary look. Handleless cabinetry in palest grey gloss is counterpointed with matt white Corian worktops. Extensive storage, including a dedicated breakfast cabinet, keeps ingredients, small electricals and other necessities out of sight, whilst high-spec stainless steel appliances, including an extractor fan fitted flush to the ceiling, puts technology at the clients’ fingertips. The calm, neutral palette is brought to life with colourful accessories and books, taking a lifestyle look through from the kitchen into the comfortable sitting area beyond.

Custom-made, to commission, in the client’s choice of materials, the Span Bench is a practical bench with industrial chic good looks. Shown here, it is made in English Oak supported by two custom-cast concrete ‘spans’ connecting the legs and the seat, together with structural steel cross ties. As with all of the work produced by Temper Studio every detail is beautifully thought through.

The ultimate in stripped down industrial style, the Elan Vital collection is inspired by commercial ball valves and plumbing unions. Now the range includes the Articulated Kitchen Spout, marrying ultimate functionality with irresistible engineering. From the simple elegance of its folding/extending mechanism, which has a 600mm reach, to the mechanical beauty of its single handle mixer, everything about this design is compelling. It’s ideal either as the main tap in the kitchen or situated by the stove as a pot filler.

As with all Watermark Collection products, Elan Vital is handmade in Brooklyn, New York, each piece precisely machined from solid brass, hand finished and assembled to order. The Elan Vital collection includes 49 pieces for basins, showers, baths and kitchens, each available in 15 different specialist finishes; from polished nickel and oiled bronze to vintage brass and copper.

Drummonds’ Windermere basin is an elegant new china vanity with delicately sculpted legs. Each basin is a unique piece, individually hand finished and glazed using the finest English clay. Available with either single or basin mixer taps, the Windermere comes with a choice of china or mahogany legs.

Inspired by period pieces and traditional manufacturing techniques, Drummonds’ bathroom products are full of character and epitomise classic British style. Their spectacular collection of single and double vanity basins will take centre stage in any bathroom.

The Caulfield Company designs and custom builds intelligent, intensely modern glass buildings; combining the pleasures of indoor/outdoor living with state-of-the-art thermal performance. Automated shading and temperature control are operated through built-in weather stations for perfect climate control. This is tried and tested technology, widely used in big commercial buildings and now being applied to domestic projects including freestanding garden buildings such as pavilions and summerhouses.

Perfect for making the most of garden views, these intelligent glass structures are also the perfect answer to Britain’s unpredictable climate. At the heart of the designs are pioneering roof and door systems which offer not only the highest possible strength, noise cancelling and thermal values (up to Passivhaus requirements) but also the ability to create spectacular structures where the doors fold entirely away, leaving no beams or columns to interrupt garden sightlines.

Full Project Service: From planning, design and build to interior finishes and fittings:

The Caulfield Company handles projects right through from planning permission to the design, build and interior finishes. It also offers a complete interior design service including bespoke joinery made in its own workshops, integrated entertainment systems, timber and stone floors and contemporary furniture from leading names including Rolf Benz, Draenart and Asco.

Mark Caulfield and his team of architects and craftsmen undertake projects all over the world.

Lapicida’s natural stone paving forms a backdrop for the powerful narrative of ‘The Garden Bed’, designed by horticulturalists Stephen Welch and Alison Doxey for the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Reflecting the theme of this year’s Show, ‘Health, Happiness and Horticulture’, the stand is conceived from the viewpoint of a hospice bed, connecting the patient directly with nature and the emotional benefits of a lushly planted garden sanctuary.

Luxury stone experts Lapicida have worked with Stephen Welch for many years, providing stone surfaces and statuary for his garden designs. Delighted to be invited to participate in this Show Garden, they have supplied two co-ordinating pavements; Limestone, laid inside the stand, and reclaimed York Stone forming the exterior terrace where visitors will stand. The natural stone sits beautifully within the designers’ concept of “a homely, familiar space” which both invigorates and calms.

Lapicida’s luxurious stone products and bespoke services combine traditional masonry skills with hi-tech capabilities. In Lapicida’s hands, stone comes alive, yielding up the secrets of its composition and myriad natural colours. The London flagship showroom showcases an extraordinary range of products, from floors and tiles to murals and exterior paving as well as baths, basins, sculptures and architectural features. From unique surface finishes to 3-D objects in stone, Lapicida’s offering starts from the premise that anything is possible. This is bespoke British craftsmanship at its best.

New at Alternative Bathrooms, the Summit 2.0 collection brings texture and tone to the bathroom in a simple yet beautifully organised way…

The collection offers a wealth of modular cabinet options with new finishes including natural and stained timbers. These pick up on the boutique hotel-led trend of using natural wood in the bathroom - as a beautiful counterpoint to clean, bright whites.

Oriental in inspiration, the richly decorated and coloured Yasmin basin from the London Basin Company is where boho chic meets contemporary bathroom style.

The hand decorated porcelain basins from the London Basin Company make perfect accent pieces for bathrooms and cloakrooms. Interior designer Anna Callis, founder of the company, draws inspiration from her travels, creating her own modern interpretations of traditional Oriental and Middle Eastern patterns. Lushly patterned inside and out, the Yasmin basin shown here combines traditional and contemporary colours, given extra depth by gold highlights.

Available exclusively online, the London Basin Company offers ten different basins in a variety of designs and shapes. Every basin is a one-off, hand finished and generously sized; with dimensions running between 37.9 and 45cm in diameter and 15 to 16cm in height.

High-tech, bespoke glass buildings from The Caulfield Company combine the pleasures of indoor/outdoor living with state-of-the-art thermal performance. Automated shading and temperature control are operated through built-in weather stations for perfect climate control. This is tried and tested intelligent technology, widely used in commercial buildings and now being applied to domestic projects from garden room extensions to modern conservatories and freestanding glass pavilions.

At the heart of The Caulfield Company’s designs are pioneering roof and door systems which offer not only the highest possible strength, noise cancelling and thermal values (up to Passivhaus requirements) but also the ability to create spectacular structures.

Shown here: A custom built garden room designed to be used all year round, winter and summer, as living/dining/family space. The roof, walls and bi-fold doors are double glazed and thermally broken (a barrier between the inside and outside frames which prevents heat loss) for optimum insulation. State of the art aluminium construction gives the building strength, whilst still remaining graceful. A built in automatic weather station controls an externally mounted awning and electronic roof vents, opening and closing them in response to weather conditions. Far more effective than internal shading, the external awning acts as a physical barrier to heat entering the building, making it just as comfortable on a hot summer day as in the depths of winter.

Most Shyrdaks are made exclusively by interlocking pieces of felt, but there are two, fairly rare, traditional designs which also have raised applique detail borders. These add yet another dimension to the character and beauty of these handmade pieces.

Sewn onto the felt at the end of the rug making, they feature white zig zag borders sewn with either multi-coloured polka dots, representing balloons, or white flowers with pink centres.

The balloon motif evokes the elaborate decoration of tribal yurts for festivals and celebrations, whilst the flower design is a celebration of the lush meadows where the flocks are taken to graze in summer months.

With the rising incidence of unexplained allergies and chronic diseases, especially in children, “passive paint inhalation” from synthetic and petrochemical-based products is increasingly looking like a prime suspect. Painted surfaces in our homes give off toxins and dangerous VOCs (volatile organic compounds) for up to five years and synthetic, petrochemical-based paints are also notoriously wasteful, yielding up to 30 litres of toxic waste per litre of paint manufactured.

Now Edward Bulmer Natural Paint is introducing a revolutionary new paint - the first natural emulsion formulated to be just as easy to apply as ‘plastic’ paints.

Solvent-free, the new emulsion is made exclusively from natural raw materials, free from all synthetic ingredients and with zero VOC emissions. Non-drip, it gives excellent coverage and a superior matt finish. Crucially too, as with all Edward Bulmer paints, its formulation allows both people and buildings to breathe naturally. Suitable for all interior walls and ceilings, it also offers the great advantage of not needing a separate primer (except on bare plaster).

One of Britain’s leading interior designers and architectural historians, Edward Bulmer is a dedicated eco-crusader. Deeply concerned with a wide range of environmental issues, he launched his first collection of all natural paints in 2003 and has spent years researching this new, easy to use, high-performance emulsion. It is available in all 72 of Edward’s inspiring colours. Formulated using only natural earth and mineral pigments, they give unique depth and range of colour across a shade card ideal for both period and contemporary settings.

A brilliant, contemporary, four poster, it combines the sheer glamour of mirrored glass with the luxury of mahogany. The wood outlines the form, whilst the mirror confers an ethereal lightness. Soaring obelisk posts give the bed its name and increase its dramatic presence. This is the ultimate statement four poster.

Handmade and hand finished, the Mirrored Obelisk is available in several sizes.

Troo Heath-Crew’s Sumo bench takes its inspiration from Japanese wrestlers, embodying their strength and low centre of gravity, but also their exceptional grace. The crisp, geometric precision of this piece underlines the exceptional skills and craftsmanship involved in its making. Built on a grand scale, at 2.2 metres in length, the Sumo bench combines a bold, contemporary aesthetic with brilliant practical detailing.

Conceived as a statement entrance-hall piece, it also incorporates cleverly planned storage: The two wool upholstered seats, each with their own side table, lift to reveal a roomy interior for shoes and boots. Nestled within the storage area, two removable leather-lined ‘trugs’ hold small objects from gloves and keys to dog leads. Hi-tech hinges hold the tops open at any given angle and prevent accidental slamming.

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The Sumo bench is built to order in Tree Couture’s North London workshops. The timber is solid sustainable American Black Walnut, each board hand selected for its colour and figure. The seat pads and inset panels (all removable for cleaning) are upholstered to order in the client’s own choice of fabric. Made to commission, in a limited edition of 25, each Sumo bench is inlaid with a gold Tree Couture maker’s mark and an individually numbered disc.

As kitchens have increasingly become both the functional and social hub of modern living, we have all had to learn to multi-task in even the most carefully zoned areas. But where there is space to create the ultimate, the new must-have is a ‘back kitchen’.

A back kitchen is definitively not a utility room… rather, it’s a modern take on the scullery traditionally found in large period houses. Today, it’s a purpose-designed space where busy cooks can delegate prepping tasks, store less frequently used china and glass, keep wine ready for parties and house back-up appliances such as an extra dishwasher and freezer. Ideal for people who entertain regularly, it keeps the main kitchen area uncluttered - even in the midst of a great party.

Martin Moore are increasingly being asked to incorporate back kitchens into their bespoke designs. The back kitchen shown here is painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Downpipe’. The worktop and upstands in ‘Organic White’ Caesarstone.

The Plane Carving Board is handmade from sustainable English Ash. As practical as it is beautiful, it features routed juice channels and brass spikes to hold the meat in place. A separate small serving board shields the spikes when the board is not in use. The Plane is made in Temper’s Wiltshire workshops and finished with natural oils and waxes. Its geometric faceted surfaces bring contemporary minimalism to traditional Sunday roasts.

All Watermark Collection products are handmade in Brooklyn, New York, where each piece is precision- machined from solid brass and assembled to order. Every element is then hand finished in a choice of 15 different specialist finishes including Polished Copper and Vintage Copper, perfect for bringing this new accent to bathroom styling.

One of Britain’s leading architectural historians, Edward Bulmer is the ultimate colour expert and a passionate eco-crusader. His inspiring all-natural paints are made from raw materials such as linseed oil and casein with pure earth and mineral pigments. Kind to people, kind to buildings and kind to the environment, they offer a new view of colour, perfectly tuned for modern living.

Founded as ‘Pots of Paint’, the business has now been renamed ‘Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’ with a new website at edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk.

The new website is Edward’s brilliantly user-friendly guide to understanding and using natural colour with confidence. Full of ideas, tonal palettes, real-life projects and practical and technical advice, it also offers free Colour Consultancy, giving customers personalised colour schemes direct from Edward and his team.

With free advice from a design luminary, a fabulous palette of 72 colours and a wide range of finishes for indoors and out, natural colour has never been so easy to love.

Warm metals are the biggest story in bathroom taps and accessories. Brass is back big time, but there is also a new, more contemporary warm finish to consider: Rose Gold.

An alloy of 24 carat gold and copper, Rose Gold has a pinky-gold lustre which looks just right with other on-trend naturals such as Travertine and timber. Luxurious but never flashy, it hits a perfect focus note in today’s bathrooms.

London Design Week 13-18th March 2016: Luxury stone specialist Lapicida launched their Porcelain collection today in the London flagship showroom. Expertly curated, this new floor and wall collection is specifically designed to work alongside premium marble and stone.

Lapicida’s Director Jason Cherrington spent two years researching the right quality of porcelain to complement natural stone, saying “The two collections sit so well together and can often be used in the same projects. Some areas have specific requirements which stone can’t fulfil as easily as porcelain, particularly where there are weight or thickness issues.”

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Lapicida’s collection comes in a wide range of sizes and a variety of authentic finishes including timber, concrete, marble and stone. Almost indiscernible from the original materials, porcelain can offer high performance alternatives. In kitchens and bathrooms for instance, where natural wood floors can suffer from exposure to water spills and a damp atmosphere, Porcelain Wood is completely stable; offering the look of timber, but not the problems. Porcelain tiles can also be ideal for contemporary indoor/outdoor spaces where a single flooring can run through the house and out onto a terrace. Frost and slip-resistant, porcelain can offer a simple, cost-effective way to get the look.

Felt’s latest shipment includes small rugs with a multitude of uses. Their compact dimensions make them immensely versatile, perfect for bringing a splash of colour and interest to hallways, passages or quiet corners. They also make stylish bedside warmers, especially as Felt’s Shyrdaks often come in contrasting pairs. They don’t even have to be on the floor… small rugs can look great as wall hangings too.

Drummonds’ new freestanding Bute bath captures the pomp and circumstance of the most splendid Edwardian interiors.

The focus is as much on form as function. The double-ended cast iron bath takes several weeks to make, using a traditional process starting with raw metal and completed by snow white dry-frit enamelling. It sits within a panelled hardwood surround with curved ends echoing the shape of the bath, a virtuoso piece of cabinetmaking.

The new Bute bath is available to order in the mahogany finish shown here or handpainted in any RAL colour.

Carrying through the British theme, each dish was beautifully assembled on bone china plates made in Stoke on Trent by William Edwards - creating a feast for all the senses.

Meanwhile, at the back of Martin Moore’s spacious showroom, Mark Hix’s brigade had been working hard cooking the same recipes to provide lunch for a - by then - extremely hungry audience! From the asparagus risotto to the buckthorne posset every mouthful was a culinary journey into springtime.

The cookery masterclass rounded off with a House & Garden gift bag, which included a stylish Martin Moore cooks apron and recipes for all the delicious dishes demonstrated by Mark Hix.

Handmade and hand finished in Italy, The Rialto contrasts two colours of European walnut, natural and dark stained. The elegantly curved head and footboards emphasise feature graining in the specially selected timbers.

Nobody does natural colour better than Edward Bulmer. One of Britain’s leading architectural historians, his all-natural paint collection is made with pure earth and mineral pigments, entirely true to nature and a perfect match for outdoor settings.

The shade card offers seventy two historically-inspired colours for modern living, giving a depth of true colour which synthetic paints can never mimic. The collection, designed for indoors and out, includes a traditional Natural Oil Gloss, ideal for painting and preserving all exterior woodwork, from benches and chairs to windows and doors. Permanently elastic, it resists peeling or flaking by allowing the wood to breathe naturally.